or sword or life or death yet the certainty of Gods love will support him And the Son said unto him Father I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy Son Now we come more particularly unto the words which are a Confession of sins made by this Prodigal unto his Father Wherein observe First the Matter of his Confession I have sinned Secondly the Circumstances as First to whom viz. to his Father Secondly the manner how And that was with Exaggeration Against Heaven c. Humiliation And am no more worthy c. The Reasons of this point are these First God cannot in Justice forgive except we make our Confession unto him If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins saith St. John But if there be no Confession then there is no promise How can God then without violating his Truth shew Mercy unto such And therefore saith Solomon He that hideth his sins shall not prosper but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have Mercy Such a one then as doth thus confess may look for Mercy and none else A Second Reason is Because there is no sound Repentance for sin where there is no true Confession of sin For the inward sight of sin would open our mouths and cause us to confess it When the Heart is pricked words will break forth the Tongue cannot forbear As we see in David who so soon as his heart smote him for numbring of the People cryed out I have sinned exceedingly in that which I have done Thus out of the abundance of the heart will the tongue speak as Christ saith These may be the Reasons The Uses follow And First seeing this is so That whosoever would have Pardon of sin must confess the same This serveth to Reprove such as look for Pardon on Gods part but will bring no Confession for their part Is this so that there is no Remission where there is no Confession Then let this Admonish every one that desires to have their sins remitted to see that they be truly and unfainedly confessed Conceal them not hide them not excuse them not defend them not and above all take heed of glorying in them Seek not with Achan to hide that cursed thing it will prove thy overthrow Be not Secretary to the Devil it is no good Office conceal not that which God commands thee to make known Sins that are smoothered will in the end fester unto Death Remember Remission is promised but upon condition of Confession suffer then no sin to go unconfessed which thou wouldst not have to go unpardoned And so I pass from this to a third Use which is for our direction For must Confession go before Remission then let every one look that as they confess so they make an upright confession Many have confessed yet found small comfort as Pharaoh Saul and Judas with many more if therefore we would speed better than they did we must look that our confession be better than theirs was Father Here we see to whom he makes confession It is not to the Servants nor to his Brother but to his Father Hence learn Confession of sin must be made unto the Lord. I acknowledged saith David my sin unto the Lord. The Reasons are these First All sin is committed against God True it is we may hurt and wrong men by our sins and bring much damage both to the Body and Goods of others by the committing of them as David to Vriah but the chiefest dishonour is against God whose Law is broken and transgressed Secondly God only can forgive sins and none but he It pertaineth only unto God to say I have Pardoned I will not destroy And Lastly Confession of sin is a special part of Divine Worship Now God will not give his glory to another he will not have any part stakes with him Thou shalt Worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Now for Uses And first for that Auricular Confession held and maintained by that man of sin which upon pain of Damnation must be made in the Ear of a Priest by every one immediately before the receiving of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper A cunning invention for the discovering of all states and for the upholding and enriching of that Covetous and Ambitious See Hereby they come to know the Hearts and Affections of Men and knowing them they can quickly tell what course to take for themselves either for bringing good or preventing mischief for the enriching themselves and impoverishing of others Is this so that confession of sin is to be made unto the Lord Then see thou fly unto him when thou hast offended and make known thy faults to him whom thou hast much dishonoured Against Heaven and in thy sight He doth not mince and extenuate the matter he saith not Father I have sinned but I had no bad meaning I knew not what I did Neither doth he plead the instability of his Youth to extenuate his fault but he aggravateth and enlargeth the grievousness of his sin and sets it out to the uttermost 1. I have sinned 2. Against Heaven 3. In thy sight All tend to the aggravation of his fault To break a Lawful command enjoyned by the Magistrate though of Ignorance is a fault wilfully to break it is a greater but to do it in his sight and presence argueth great Rebellion From the Prodigal his Practice let us learn Doct. That it is the property of a true Penitent not to mince or extenuate his sin but to aggravate and set it out in the worst and vilest manner that he can The Reason may be this Because the Eyes of a Penitent are in some measure opened so that he now seeth sin in its own colours and apprehendeth it as a deadly Enemy to Gods glory and his own Souls Health Now we know how ready we are to speak the worst we can of those who are Enemies unto us and to set forth their vile Practises to the uttermost Thus the hatred he beareth unto sin causeth him to think that he can never sufficiently display it and maketh him so disposed as that no malicious wicked man can so set forth the faults of his Enemy whom he deadly hates as he desires to set forth the loathsomness of his own sin Thus we have seen the Reason The Vses follow And is a Penitent thus qualified Is there such a disposition in him as that he will lay to his own charge as much as possibly he can Then what shall we say of such as study this Art of mincing and extenuating sin The sins of others they can enlarge they have both will and skill in setting open to the view of the whole World in every branch and circumstance the faults of others so that many times they appear to be greater than indeed they are But in confessing of their own sins they have no such gift nor faculty than they have not done
Faith embrace thee as a strong Hold Hope wait upon thee as a sure Defence Charity relieve thee in thy distressed Members and Patience bear thy Cross as her Crown of Glory 6. Of Self-denial There is nothing brings more Honour to God and Credit to Man than the Grace of Self-denial which is a Character of Gods own Teaching but few will take the pains to Learn it because they must first be untaught self before they can be taught the Art of Self-denial Men generally are apt to study Men and study Books both Divine and Moral to increase Humane knowledge and set up the Interest of Ambition and Covetousness that when Times change and Religion and Ambition come in competition they will steer their Devotions to all Winds to shelter them from the storms of Ship-wrack whereas a gracious Heart will endeavour to study that Chymical Wisdom to draw out the Spirit of Self-denial from the Limbeck of Heaven which indeed is the Quintessence of all the Graces and makes a Soveraign Antidote against all Malignant Tumors of Self-love it combates the passions of the Heart it allayeth the flateous Humours of Pride and Vain-glory it suppresseth the Earthy Vapours of Avarice which poysoneth the Heart and intoxicates the Brain it bridles intemperate Appetites which run like a Torrent having the wind of Satans Temptations and our own passionate inclinations to split the Ship of our Souls upon the Rock of Eternal Misery Preserve me O my God from such disasters by this Mysterous Vertue of Self-denial render me I beseech thee a Disciple capable of this Science teach me effectually to spell my frailty in this golden Alphabet place it as a Frontlet before the eyes of my Soul that I may continually read the out-strayings of my Heart with regret of spirit that I may change my Affections from the love of the World to the love of thy self that when the Bark of my Soul shall put ashore it may safely arrive at the Haven of Heaven 7. Of Patience Patience under the Cross is like Gold under the hand of the Finer when sufficiently tryed in the Fire of Affliction and ordered by the hand of Heaven becomes a Glorious Crown for a faithful Christian Lord if my Earthy heart be so impatient that it needs Refining purifie it I pray thee of its drossie quality that it may be brought into a better temper and be made tractable to thy gracious Designs 8. Of Contentment Contentment is a meek submission of a gracious Spirit to the will of God in every condition it puts the Heart into a Holy frame willing to subject and lay it self low to the frowns and stroke of Justice as well as to the smiles of Mercy Good is the Word of the Lord saith Old Eli. If the Lord say he takes no pleasure in me saith David let him do to me what he pleaseth Learning with Paul in every condition to be content This gracious disposition is like Wax capable of any impression or as Clay in the hand of the Potter which may be molded into any form or fashion Where there is a suitableness between the disposition and the condition a man will suffer all things endure all things with contentment Take from him as one saith his Wealth his Treasure is in Heaven cast him into Prison his Conscience is free take away his good Name his Innocency will vindicate him against all aspersions banish him his Countrey Jerusalem above is his City of Refuge Si fractus illabatur orbis impavidum seriunt ruinae vultus Though the Foundation of the Earth should shake he will not be moved It is the mind and apprehension that makes every condition better or worse Restraints and Confinements to some are as bad as Death but to others sweet Captivities places of more Liberty for the Service of God witness the rejoycings of Paul and Silas He that hath Christ dwelling in his Heart by Faith may truly say with the Philosopher Omnia mea mecum porto my Treasure is a hidden Treasure I carry all within me and that all I shall carry to Heaven with me Gracious Lord who hath the hearts of all men in thy hands to order and dispose of them to thy own design impress I beseech thee with the seal of thy spirit upon my heart this lovely Grace of Contentment that I may bear thy Cognisance in every condition mold it I pray thee to such an Holy temper as my submission to thy will may answer thy expectation If thou cast me into the Mold of Affliction let me come out thy contented Patient if thou take from me all that I have give me thy self and I shall enjoy all things Christus meus omnia If Christ be not wanting Contentment feels no want 9. Of Peace Peace is a gracious Acquiescence of the Soul in God it is one part of that joyful Tidings proclaimed by the Herald of Heaven Glory to God on Earth Peace good-will towards men yea it is that Royal Legacy left by the King of Glory to his Apostles My Peace I leave with you as it was his dying bequest so it was his reviving salute after his Resurrection Peace be unto you This is that Peace which passeth all understanding which keeps our Hearts in the knowledge and love of God It causeth a cessation of all our Lusts which War against God and our Souls it Uniteth God and Man together in a happy Union and sweet Communion in the Court of Conscience it puts an end to all strife and begets an harmonious Agreement between man and man Blessed Saviour who art the great Peace-maker between God and Man who stilleth the raging of the Sea and the madness of the People I beseech thee bridle the floods of my Passions that they run not over me with noise calm with the word of Peace the boisterous billows of my warfaring Members that they swell not over the banks of my soul sending forth mire and dirt And since there is a necessity of War in my heart Lord convert the enmity thereof against sin and Satan that the end of this War may be Peace 10. Of Love Love is a holy flame derived to us from the Altar of God who is Love it self whose property is to beget the like so we come to love God who first loved us Philosophy tells us that Love is grounded upon similitude Nature instructs sensible Creatures to love their young and God teacheth Parents to love their Children because parts of themselves and Children by a reflective relation to love their Parents as Authors of their being How much more ought we to love God who created both Soul and Body Our Love being but a part of his parental Affection who offered himself a Sacrifice for us through the flame of his Affection Assimulate O my God the soul of thy servant unto thee and let the fire of thy spirit burn up the pile of my sins purifying my heart and kindling my Affections that I may offer up
my soul a zealous Holocaust to the flame of thy Altar 11. Of Chastity This single Grace of Chastity will admit of no Cor-rival but God himself in her virgin-Virgin-heart in which she erects a Temple of Love for the Lords delight scourging out all uncleanness with the rod of Sorrow dedicating it wholly to the Service and Honour of the Lord where Love and Beauty God and the Soul are espoused together in holy affection and sweet communion Give me O Lord what wilt thou give a clean heart truly devoted to thy service Though the stains of impure Cogitations and verbal Transgressions may unwillingly and unwarily break in to defile thy Temple O may the rod of Repentance drive them out but shield it I pray thee from that great abomination of desolation those deathful wounds of actual pollution to make it a stink of all iniquity but deck and adorn it with the graces of thy spirit that it may be made a beautiful habitation for thy honours reception 12. Temperance Temperance is as a comly Matron which walks soberly and warily in the wholesom path of Mediocrity between excess and defect her actings are to the health both of Body and Soul avoiding in order to Food and Raiment Superfluity and Sordidness being fed with Frugality and clothed with Decency as to the Soul her Religion very Orthodox running a most even course between blind Zeal and open Profaneness like the Sun in its Aequinox between the Winter and the Summer Solstice hating Enthusiasm Papism and Atheism with other giddy opinions coyned out of the Mint of inconsiderate Brains which begetteth nothing but Division Contention and Disaffection Most holy Lord who art holiness it self and delightest in the beauty of holiness pious hearts as mansions where thy honour will please to dwell square my Religion to the straight rule of thy word and so fashion my Devotion as may be most agreeable to thy own mind neither ceremoniously superstitious or irreverently rude but zealously affected in a decent and orderly manner as may be most sutable to piety and the honour of thy Majesty 13. Of Obedience and Disobedience A good natured Child will grieve that he hath offended his indulgent Father whereas a more rugged disposition will not come into the School of Obedience without much swinging Make me O Lord a child of Obedience by the smiles of thy mercy rather than by the frowns of thy Justice draw me by the silken twines of thy Affections and not by the ruff Cords of thy Corrections but if I be so ill-natured that the rays of thy love will not mollifie my hard heart let the awful stripes of thy fear make it tender so shall thy rod and thy staff comfort me 14. Of Gratitude and Ingratitude Thankfulness is the tribute of our Affections which we pay as a Rent-charge to the great Lord of Heaven and Earth by which we acknowledge his property in us and our Loyalty to him for all his blessings both for Soul and Body and nothing can out us of Possession discard us of our freedom or cancel the obligation of his love to us but Ingratitude that monster in nature which was one of the grand sins which ejected Adam out of his Garden of Paradice into a wilderness of Sin transformed Nebuchadnezar from a man to a Beast till he returned better manner'd and smote Herod in his Judgment-seat because he gave not God the glory Great God! in whose hands are all the Corners of the earth and the fulness thereof in whatsoever possession of thy blessings thy goodness please to place me as Tenant for life O may I esteem it far beyond my deservings that I may learn to be thankful And suffer not I pray thee my nature so ill to degenerate into Ingratitude as to alienate thy affections from me to out me of the Eden of thy favour and let me not be so blockishly dull as not to acknowledge thy property or so arrogantly peccant to rob thee of thy honour lest deservedly I incur thy righteous displeasure but ingratiate my heart I beseech thee with so good a nature as I may render my self a more perfect Creature to give thee thy dues belonging to thy honour and my self the comfort of thy gracious dispensations towards me 15. Of Mercy and Justice Mercy and Justice are the righteous Ballances of Heaven poized by the Hand of Truth which weighs to every one the Rewards of Life and death Mercy is filled with promises of life Justice with wages of death Faith lays hold on the Scale of Mercy through the merits of a Saviour Infidelity draws down Justice as a Recompence for Iniquity So righteous art thou O Lord in thy ways and just in thy Judgments who dispensest to every one after their deservings Merciful Father though the magnitude and multitude of my Transgressions be so heavy to draw down the Ballance of thy Indignation upon me yet being Counterpoized with thy Sons merits in the Ballance of Mercy they shall be found too light to condemn me and my Faith of sufficient weight to save me 16. Of Faith Faith is the Souls Optick which discovereth things afar off as if near at hand though darkly as in a Glass yet far surpassing all the Opticks of Astrology which takes the dimensions of the Orbs according to the sense whereas Faith maketh search into Heaven seeth God Almighty with all his Attributes in the beauty of Holiness Jesus Christ his Son sitting at his right hand interceeding for us the Holy Ghost proceeding coming down like fire to baptize the Saints with all the Heavenly Quires of Saints and Angels singing Allelujah to the King of Glory yea it discovereth Hell afar off with all its monstrosity the reward of our Iniquity seeth Satan compassing the Earth in persuite of the Mother and her Child to devour them but overcome by the blood of the Lamb. Thus O my Soul with this Optick of Faith thou mayest survey all the wonders of God making things invisible to the eye of sense visible to the eye of Reason Thus beholding thee O my God in thy glorious perfections in thy marvelous works in thy gracious Attributes let me experiment thy spirit of grace quickning thy wisdom teaching thy power supporting thy love comforting thy Justice tenderly chastising and thy mercy saving me let the light of thy countenance the splendor of thy Majesty so dart upon my soul through this Glass of Faith that thou mayest be in love with thy own beauty Faith again may be said to be the compass of the Soul which centers one part upon God the other upon the heart of man rounding a Sphear of a new Creation with circles of love through which she draws a Diameter by the Rule of the word which is as a Jacobs Ladder by the hand of an Angel to convey the Graces of God to man and the Prayers of man unto God Scale O my soul by this Ladder of Faith the Battlements of Heaven contend with thy Maker and
to Destruction the other in a filial Affection invite me to grace which leads to Salvation 52. Of Heaven Heaven is such a glorious structure that it flags the Plumes of Contemplation to soar up unto it and that only by the way of Gods Footsteps in the frame of the inferior Orbs and the speech of his word The heavens declare the Glory of God and the Earth sheweth his handy work which indeed surpasseth Admiration that two such heavy Elements being conglomerated into one spherecal body in meditullioa eris in haerentem should as it were hang by Geometry only supported by the Pillars of the Air in its triple Regions of several tempers over which is the Fire qualifying and correcting the Airs coldness so that by the Temperatures of all the Elements living Creatures are composed and the Universe preserved Ascend we now unto the Spheres of the Sun and Moon the great Luminaries of day and night with the rest of the fixed Stars whose influences gives a quickning vigor of life and motion to all Vegetable Beings From thence view we that glittering Vault that Azure Canopy inamel'd with so many sparkling Diamonds that Galaxia as is feigned the White Rode to Heaven Climb we from thence to the primum mobile that great Wheel of the World whirled about by the hand of Heaven which gives motion to the lower Spheres Now the Eye of Contemplation begins to dazel laying aside the Opticks of Sense and Reason take we the prospective of Gods word which commits to the Eye of Faith and discovers unto us in part the superexcelling Beauty of the Heaven of Heavens that great City the new Jerusalem whose walls are of Jasper the Foundation of several pretious stones which the holy Ghost illustrates according to our Capacities the twelve gates twelve Pearls and the street of the City of pure Gold as it were transparent Glass In the middle of it the River of life as clear as Chrystal and on each side a Tree of Life which bare twelve manner of Fruits every month and the leaves of the Trees were for the healing of the Nations This City needs no light of the Sun or Moon for the Glory of God doth lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof Such glorious things are spoken of thee thou City of God whose Citizens are Saints and Angels God the Father the Temple God the Son the Beauty God the Holy Ghost the Love In this City we shall receive high Dignity conceive mutual amity flourish in Eternity shine in Charity rejoyce in Piety by knowing God we shall see him by seeing God we shall love him and by enjoying God we shall praise him we shall see God with Affection possess him with Consolation enjoy him with delectation Here the mind is filled with the Torrent of Divine Pleasure the heart satiate with Divine Love here are living Fountains pleasant Valleys delitious Gardens the height of Felicity is superexcelling Glory this Bride-chamber of festivity superabounding jollity From this Mountain of Spices from this Watch-tower of heavenly things we shall see the Comliness of Honour the splendor of Saints and the grace of Kingly Majesty In this bosom of security there is Rest from Labour Peace from Enemies Pleasantness of novelty security of Eternity and sweetness of the Vision of God How sweet then is it to meditate on this City but much sweeter will it be to be refreshed in it to be possessed of it to behold him who is the Bridegroom of the Soul the Prince of Glory O most Glorious Creator who art the perfection of Glory and thy habitation is in Glory who art clothed with Majesty and Honour and deckest thy self with light as with a Garment and stretchest out the Heavens like a Curtain how insearchable art thou in thy wisdom and thy ways past finding out how shall dust and ashes praise thee how can I magnifie thy Name in thy wonderful works which are unutterable unconceivable unexpressable what I cannot comprehend I will admire and what I cannot sufficienly admire I will rest content with thy favour here in hope of injoyment of thy Honour hereafter To thee O Lord be Glory Eternity Immortality Praise and Thanks-giving for ever and ever Amen A Looking-glass for our English LADIES OR Daily Directions for their Dress and APPAREL Vertuous Ladies I Shall here give Directions to you for your Dress and Apparel that so you may walk in this degenerate Age as Women professing Godliness and not as those that by their naked Breasts and Fantastick Garbs are and alas there is too many such amongst us an Abomination to the Lord. First then for the Time Your Clothes may not be used every day alike Times and Seasons are to be observed There is a time of Fasting and Mourning when they must be laid aside according to the Practise of Gods Servants who have clothed themselves with Sackcloth upon such Occasions to signifie that they were unworthy of the worst Attire And this did God give in charge to his people Israel that they should put off their ornaments from them that he might know what to do unto them In times of Mourning then they are not fitting courser Attire is then best beseeming neither may be for every ordinary days wearing In the days of Rejoycing and Publick Solemnity these are fittest to be worn For this was the Rich man in the Gospel taxed he was cloathed in purple and fine linnen every day He is not simply condemned for wearing these but for a daily using of those costly Ornaments making them as it were his Working-days Attire Secondly for the Manner we have the Apostles Rule Adorn your selves in Modest Apparel with shamefacedness and sobriety c. which becometh Women professing Godliness So then in Ornament as in every thing else our Godliness Modesty and Sobriety must appear It may not then be strange or garish which argues neither Modesty nor Honesty but Levity and Inconstancy but according to the sober Custom of our Countrey from which we should not vary for how monstrous and ugly is that part which agreeth not with the whole Body Neither may it be differing from our Sex but according thereunto The Woman shall not wear that which pertaineth to the Man neither shall a Man put on a Womans Garment for all that do so are abomination to the Lord. The Law of Nature and common Honesty condemns to have Women Mannish and Men Womanish in their Attire Oh then our sin Nor may it be above our Places Callings and Degrees As God hath placed some Men above others so ought Men to fit their Attire and Habit according to the quality of the places wherein they are So Joseph's Ornaments were to put a difference between him and the Inferiour Princes of Pharaoh's Court. Neither may it be beyond our Means or Maintenance but according to our Ability in our places wherein we are For to go as fine and costly as the foremost in our Rank is not sobriety Our change
Companions methinks I hear him speak to his own Heart after this manner following viz. Oh! sweet what rare Felicity is here Where nought offends where all things sit appear Where Natures shop full furnish'd with supply Stands always open to the Passers-by My thoughts what think you of these Streams so clear My Senses can you not suck Honey here Affections can you here not feed desire And with contentment to the Heart retire Here are the Beds where sweetest Roses grow Here are the Banks where purest streams do flow Here are the only Instruments of Mirth Here are the only Jewels upon Earth My stragling thoughts then here set up your stay My striving Senses seek no Richer Prey Affect'ons here your Fancies may be quieted My pleased Heart then rest thou here delighted But to proceed This Prodigal being now out of his Fathers Eye Reach and Controul he indulges himself in the highest surfeit of Licentiousness by which means in a short time whilst he enjoying the present took no care for the suture the stock his Father allotted him was utterly exhausted and with that his pleasures also fail the Roots that ministred to them being thus dryed up and where his Pleasures end his Cares begin For now he hath leisure to look a little about him and finds himself in a bad case having no course left but either to return to his Father and confessing his Folly implore his Compassion or to put himself a Servant to a Stranger thereby to get a mean lively-hood the former of these he was yet loath to come to having not as he thought tryed sufficiently the folly of his own counsel and to take to himself the shame of his own ill conduct by so plain a retreat was thought a sharper calamity than any he yet felt therefore he resolves upon the latter as if the severities of a stranger were more tolerable than the Reproaches of a Father For he concluded a man was not perfectly Miserable that had no body to upbraid his Folly And now being in a strange Countrey he comforted himself with this that if he should find none to pity him he was sure there would be none could torture him with the grating remembrance of what he was and might have been Well he becomes a Servant and he that could not brook the grave restraint of paternal Authority now feels the heavy yoke of servile obedience for he is put to the base drudgery of feeding Swine and hath the coursest fare for his maintenance the Swine and the Servant feed alike upon Husks only with this difference some body cares for the Hogs but no body for the Slave and the former have enough of that which agrees with them but the latter is pinched with hunger having not allowance of that sordid diet answerable to the importunity of his needs Being sorely afflicted with this he that formerly dreamed of nothing but the sweets of liberty and the surfeits of voluptuousness and never once thought of those hungry Wolves Want and Necessity which now stand at his door after many a sad sigh discourses thus with himself Ah fool that I was who knew not when I was well that understood not contentment without satisfaction nor could take up with the substance but must grasp at shadows till I lost both that knew not what it was to be happy but by the sad experiment of becoming miserable that could not distinguish between the chastisements of a Father and the wounds of an enemy nor believe but all yokes were equal until I was convinced by tryal that could not brook the Government and restraints of my Fathers Family though indeared by the reverence of my relation and sweetned by the benignity of his countenance and liberal provision for all necessity and delight nor be satisfied of my Fathers wisdom but by the effects of my own rashness and folly Time was when I had the respect and dignity of a Son at home who now find the contempt of a Servant abroad I was then put to no drudgery nor had other task than to serve the honour and interest of my Father and in so doing I consulted also my own for my duty and my happiness were then united but I am now put to the basest office to the vilest employment as if my drudgery were not so much imposed in order to my Master's profit as to my own contumely But that which comes nearer to me yet and pinches me very sore is that whereas in my Fathers House I could neither feel nor fear want I can now hope for nothing else there the meanest servant had bread not only to the full but to superfluity much less was any thing wanting to me then a Son now the case is sadly altered I that seldom had so much hunger as might serve for sauce to the plenty of my Fathers Table feel now the difference between the liberal hand of a Father and the evil and nigardly eye of a hard Master Oh the difference between the sweet fumes of Plenty and the gnawing pains of Wind and Emptiness And here methinks I hear him speaking to Extravigant and head-strong Youth in the following manner viz. Ah! wanton Youth take warning by my woes And see in me the summ of vain repose Which like a Bud Frost-bitten e're it bloomes Appears but unto no perfection comes All Earthly pleasures are but like a bubble Straight turn to nothing which were rais'd with trouble The fairest faces soonest change their dye The sweetest Charmers are most apt to lye Thus mov'd with sorrows I may tell the same And make the World take notice of my shame But till I had experience of this woe No means could make me think it would be so But now I think upon my Father here Whose Fore-sight now I find exceeding clear He often told me and with many a Tear What would befal but then I would not hear Ah fellow Companions what would I give now for what I have formerly wasted or despised then I loathed wholsom food and now feed upon Husks how do I now envy the meanest servant in my Father's House they have enough of all things and I the want of all things they surfeit I starve But alas it is to no purpose to complain here the Swine I feed cannot pity me and the Master I serve will not There is no other choice left me now but I must return to my Father or perish little did I think what would come of it when I forsook him and perhaps little does he think what I have suffered since If my sufferings have brought down my proud Heart and taught me submission it may be my deplorable condition may move his Bowels it is true he cast me not out but I forsook and abandoned him My Youthful heat and folly precipitated me upon my own Ruine but as he hath more Wisdom than I so perhaps the Affections of a Father are more strong than those of a Child and the more he sees my
Judgment shall be to us no day of wrath but a day of Redemption Thus we have seen the Point proved Now it remains to apply it And first this serveth then to condemn such as nip the bud so soon as ever it peeps forth and quench every spark that at any time appeareth yea wilfully set themselves to repell all good motions hasting to their cursed Company to chase away those which they call profanely qualms of Devotion sweet inspirements of Gods Holy Spirit So some have some kind of Remorse wrought at some times upon the hearing of a Sermon and seem to be much grieved and are a while perplexed but they soon quench this grief being not willing to torment themselves before the time and therefore run into merry Company and drink down sorrow not being willing to be overmuch disquieted with this melancholy And therefore in the next place let it serve for Admonition to thee and me and to us all that we beware how we suffer that blessed heat to slake which by Gods grace begins to be enkindled in our Hearts Suffer not that coal that holy motion which the Lord hath cast into thy bosom to die within thee but blow it up lay on more fuel add daily more and more matter to it and tremble to lose the least measure of Gods gracious gifts Be frequent in Spiritual exercises as in Hearing Reading Meditation Christian Conference Prayer and the like Let no means be neglected that God hath ordained for the working of establishment A second Doctrine that may hence be gathered is this Where spiritual life and new birth is once begun there will be a growth and an increase in Grace There will be no standing at a stay but a proceeding by degrees After a rising there will be a going First then let this serve for Examination Try thy self hereby see what growth of Grace is in thee what increase of Faith Love Zeal Patience and what strengthning of the inward man Doth Grace get more strength every day than other Doth it grow to some bigness Doth it shoot up in tallness and stature Surely then it is out of Question that Grace is true Grace and thou art made partaker of the New Birth But doth it remain still Infant-like and feeble without any stirring or shewing of it self Then hast thou cause to fear it is but the counterfeit and not true Grace indeed the withering of the blade is a shrewd sign of a stony ground Secondly this may serve to Reprove such as stand at a stay and go not forward but are like the George on Horse-back ever riding but never go a step further Where you leave them this Year there you may find them the next This is a fearful sign and a most uncomfortable thing In the third place let this Admonish every one to grow in Grace Let us forget that which is behind and endeavour to that which is before let us press hard towards the Mark for the price of the high calling of God Let us not be evermore as smoaking Flax or bruised Reeds or as new set Plants but let us abound more and more To my Father Not to my Brother or Fathers Servants or to my Harlots But to my Father Hence learn Relief is to be sought for only at Gods hands in time of Misery and Distress To him are we to betake our selves and to none but him Let this serve to Reprove such as betake themselves to other helps in time of Misery seeking to be relieved either by Saints or Angels in Heaven or by Conjurers Witches or such like unlawful means here upon the Earth This was King Ahaziah's sin who being sick sent Messengers and said unto them Go enquire of Baal-zebub the God of Ekron whether I shall recover of this Disease contrary to that charge which God doth give his People Regard not them that have Familiar Spirits neither seek after Wizards to be defiled by them I am the Lord your God Secondly let this teach us to betake our selves unto the Lord when sorrows and griefs assails us Seek help from him and that by means yet only by such Lawful means as he hath warranted in his Word and beware of trusting in the means that God hath warranted It is Lawful to seek to the Physitian and use of his help yet to trust in the help of the Physitian more than in the help of God and to seek first and rather to the Physitian than unto God is sinful And say unto him Father He doth here fore-think what he should speak when as he comes into his Fathers presence for as yet he was not From his Practise learn Not to come into Gods presence without preparation but consider what to say and what to seek before you speak Be not rash saith the Wise man with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God We must confer with our own Hearts and prepare them before we come into the Lords presence To this doth the Prophet Hosea seem to exhort Israel Take unto you words and turn to the Lord and say unto him And so our Saviour in his direction for Prayer sets not down the Petitions abruptly but beginneth with a Solemn Preface to shew that before we Pray there ought to be a disposition of our selves and compossng of the Affections to the Duty So Psal 108.10 57.7 8. The Reasons of this Solomon gives in the place before cited For first God saith he is in Heaven As if he should say God is full of Majesty and Wisdom He is both Lord and Judge it is not a Man nor an Earthly Power that you have to deal with but that God who hath the Angels attending on him and a thousand times ten thousands of Angels administring unto him at whose feet all Kings on Earth cast down their Crowns and Scepters Secondly thou art upon the Earth i. e. a weak unwise unworthy Creature infinitely inferiour in degree unto thy Creator And therefore it becomes not thee to speak unto him but with the greatest Fear Reverence and Advisedness And therefore First this serves to Reprove many who rashly come into Gods presence without any preparation or due meditation of what they are to say or crave Small is the number indeed of such as do Pray but smaller is the number indeed of such as prepare themselves to Pray In the Second place let this Admonish us to prepare our selves before we come to appear before the Lord to call upon his Name whether in Publick or Private You know Goodly Buildings have some Magnificence in the Gate and great Personages have seemly Ushers to go before them who by their uncovered Heads command reverence and way So should Holy Duties be undertaken Exod. 19.10 1 Sam. 16.5 2 Chron. 19.3 And thus much may be spoken of this point We are now to speak of the words themselves which he devised to speak Father I have sinned c. In these words of his acknowledgment
we may see what it was especially that touched him to the quick namely this that he had abused and wronged the love and kindness of so good a Father This was that which made him so much to insist upon the name of Father I will go to my Father I will say Father The misery that he was in as his want of Bread and other Necessaries no doubt was grievous yet all this troubled him not so much as this that he had carried himself so undutifully towards so gracious a Parent Let this then be noted That nothing is so grievous to a true Penitent as this that by committing of sin he hath offended God This was that which most troubled David and went nighest to his Soul that he had sinned against the Lord and offended his Majesty by his committing of evil Against thee against thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight The Reason of this the Apostle St. Paul giveth They have not received the spirit of Bondage again to fear but they have received the spirit of Adoption Which Spirit doth make them love the Lord and fear to offend and exceedingly grieve when he is offended As it is with a true Lover towards his Beloved Now for the Uses and first we may see here a difference between the sorrow of the Godly and of the Wicked Both grieve both mourn Ahab as well as David Judas as well as Peter Yet the sorrow of the one is Godly and bringeth Life the sorrow of the other Worldly and bringeth Death And therefore for thy further establishment know if thou dost truly grieve these things shalt thou find in thee First thou wilt grieve for sins of all sorts Original and Actual of Ignorance and of Knowledge of Commission and of Omission Secret and Open for less as well as for bigger whatsoever is sin thou wilt mourn for because Gods Law is by it broken and so his Majesty is offended Secondly If thou grievest because God is offended then wilt thou grieve also for the sins of others as well as for thy own because God is dishonoured by the one as well as by the other Thirdly if thy sorrow be right it will be a Proportional Sorrow A Sorrow answerable to the sin as we see in Manasses his sin was great and his Contrition was great 2 Chron. 33.12 So in Peter his sorrow was great for denying his Master Mat. 26.75 Fourthly If thy Sorrow be Godly and is for sin as it is an offence against God thou wilt then be more desirous to be rid of sin than of any other cross whatsoever yea as heartily desirous never to commit it as thou art desirous that God would never impute it Now in the Second place this may serve for the Reproof yea for the terror of many who rest in a counterfeit and unsound Repentance For doth a true Penitent grieve more for Gods cause than for his own Is he more grieved for the offence against God than for any manner of respect unto himself Then surely such are far from true Repentance who were it not for fear or shame could be content to live in sin and tumble in it all their days And before thee That is in thy sight as afterwards Verse 21. This did add much unto his sorrow and did very much aggravate his fault Two Points are here to be observed The first is this That Gods Eye is on all mens Actions The second is this The forgetting of Gods All-seeing Eye in the committing of evil doth aggravate the sin and increase the same To come then to the Reasons First God is every where present he can be shut out of no place as man can or as the Sun can because he is infinite in Nature Do not I fill Heaven and Earth saith the Lord Am I a God at hand and not afar off And therefore it cannot otherwise be but he must needs behold our doings and our actions Psal 139.7 Acts 17.27 Secondly It is he that made the Eye and shall he not see It is he that made the Ear and shall he not hear He giveth knowledge and shall he not know Can any thing be hid from him from whom they have their being The work is known unto the worker the Art unto the Artificer the Pot unto the Potter And shall not the Creature be known unto the Creator Thirdly He it is that chastiseth the Nations as the Prophet speaks in the same Psalm Verse 10. shall not he correct He shall be the Judge every one shall be Judged by him according to his works Now albeit he shall not want Witnesses at that day yet it is fitting that himself should have knowledge of the Actions of all men seeing he will not reprove after the hearing of his Ears Isa 11.3 These Reasons shall suffice instead of many Now for the Uses Vse 1. And first this may serve for Terror to all such as live in sin what greater terror to a Thief than to have the Judge an Eye-witness of his Villany So what greater terror to the wicked than this to have the Lord behold their doings Oh think on these things you lurking Dans close Enemies of the Church whose sleep departs from you till you have caused some to fall The Lord seeth your Plots and cunning Devices your close Practises against his Church and People But he that sitteth in Heaven shall laugh you to scorn the Lord will have you in derision Take notice of this also you Adulterers and Whoremongers who say in your Hearts Who seeth us We are compassed about with darkness we need not fear Behold the Lord himself who shall be thy Judge he seeth thy Villany and looketh thee in the Face in the Act doing Vse 2. Secondly this serveth to set forth Gods wonderful Patience and long-suffering For is all sin in his Eye Then wonder at Gods forbearance who seeing so many and outragious sins daily committed yet for all that spares us Some are Swearing some Tipling some Cheating some Whoring when his Eye is on them All our Impurities Impieties he doth plainly behold yet he forbears and doth not strike Wonder at this wonder at it Oh you Sons of Men and let it teach you to Repent Vse 3. A Third Use may serve to stir us up and encourage us to well-doing what lazie Servant will not put forth his strength when his Masters Eye is on him So who is it were he well perswaded that the Lord is a spectator and beholder of his doings would not put forth his strength to the Lords work Were this well considered how couragious should we be both in the Duties of our general and special Callings The second Doctrine hence to be observed is this That the forgetting of Gods All-seeing Eye in the committing of evil doth aggravate the sin and increase the same The Reasons of this Point are these First we sin against the means that ought to keep us from sin and this doth aggravate the sin
for less as well as for bigger whatsoever is sin thou wilt mourn for because Gods Law is by it broken and so his Majesty is offended Secondly If thou grievest because God is offended then wilt thou grieve also for the sins of others as well as for thy own because God is dishonoured by the one as well as by the other Thirdly if thy sorrow be right it will be a Proportional Sorrow A Sorrow answerable to the sin as we see in Manasses his sin was great and his Contrition was great 2 Chron. 33.12 So in Peter his sorrow was great for denying his Master Mat. 26.75 Fourthly If thy Sorrow be Godly and is for sin as it is an offence against God thou wilt then be more desirous to be rid of sin than of any other cross whatsoever yea as heartily desirous never to commit it as thou art desirous that God would never impute it Now in the Second place this may serve for the Reproof yea for the terror of many who rest in a counterfeit and unsound Repentance For doth a true Penitent grieve more for Gods cause than for his own Is he more grieved for the offence against God than for any manner of respect unto himself Then surely such are far from true Repentance who were it not for fear or shame could be content to live in sin and tumble in it all their days And before â—â—ee That is in thy sight as afterwards Verse 21. This did add much unto his sorrow and did very much aggravate his fault Two Points are here to be observed The first is this That Gods Eye is on all mens Actions The second is this The forgetting of Gods All-seeing Eye in the committing of evil doth aggravate the sin and increase the same To come then to the Reasons First God is every where present he can be shut out of no place as man can or as the Sun can because he is infinite in Nature Do not I sill Heaven and Earth saith the Lord Am I a God at hand and not afar off And therefore it cannot otherwise be but he must needs behold our doings and our actions Psal 139.7 Acts 17.27 Secondly It is he that made the Eye and shall he not see It is he that made the Ear and shall he not hear He giveth knowledge and shall he not know Can any thing be hid from him from whom they have their being The work is known unto the worker the Art unto the Artificer the Pot unto the Potter And shall not the Creature be known unto the Creator Thirdly He it is that chastiseth the Nations as the Prophet speaks in the same Psalm Verse 10. shall not he correct He shall be the Judge every one shall be Judged by him according to his works Now albeit he shall not want Witnesses at that day yet it is fitting that himself should have knowledge of the Actions of all men seeing he will not reprove after the hearing of his Ears Isa 11.3 These Reasons shall suffice instead of many Now for the Uses Vse 1. And first this may serve for Terror to all such as live in sin what greater terror to a Thief than to have the Judge an Eye-witness of his Villany So what greater terror to the wicked than this to have the Lord behold their doings Oh think on these things you lurking Dans close Enemies of the Church whose sleep departs from you till you have caused some to fall The Lord seeth your Plots and cunning Devices your close Practises against his Church and People But he that sitteth in Heaven shall laugh you to scorn the Lord will have you in derision Take notice of this also you Adulterers and Whoremongers who say in your Hearts Who seeth us We are compassed about with darkness we need not fear Behold the Lord himself who shall be thy Judge he seeth thy Villany and looketh thee in the Face in the Act doing Vse 2. Secondly this serveth to set forth Gods wonderful Patience and long-suffering For is all sin in his Eye Then wonder at Gods forbearance who seeing so many and outragious sins daily committed yet for all that spares us Some are Swearing some Tipling some Cheating some Whoring when his Eye is on them All our Impurities Impieties he doth plainly behold yet he forbears and doth not strike Wonder at this wonder at it Oh you Sons of Men and let it teach you to Repent Vse 3. A Third Use may serve to stir us up and encourage us to well-doing what lazie Servant will not put forth his strength when his Masters Eye is on him So who is it were he well perswaded that the Lord is a spectator and beholder of his doings would not put forth his strength to the Lords work Were this well considered how couragious should we be both in the Duties of our general and special Callings The second Doctrine hence to be observed is this That the forgetting of Gods All-seeing Eye in the committing of evil doth aggravate the sin and increase the same The Reasons of this Point are these First we sin against the means that ought to keep us from sin and this doth aggravate the sin exceedingly and make sin out of measure sinful Secondly we rob God of his Honour and give not that unto him which is his right we would pluck out his Eyes that he should not see or at least judge him to be blind To think God seeth us not is a kind of Atheism for after a sort we deny him to be God And am no more worthy to be called thy Son See how he humbleth and abaseth himself even to the uttermost I am not worthy to be thy Son nay not worthy of the name of a Son make me but as an hired Servant and I shall think my self most happy Oh rare Humility yet greatly necessary because God is good to such But as for the Proud he beholds them afar off But to come to the Lesson and this it is Where there is true Repentance there is a sight and sense of a mans own unworthiness And it stands with good Reason for the Affections must needs follow the temperature of the Mind so that as the conceit of Holiness and Happiness doth puff up a Man in Pride and Presumption so the true sight and sense of his sinful and wretched estate must needs cast him down with shame and sorrow Let us then examine our Repentance by our Humility Hast thou truly Repented Then thou art truly Humbled and cast down with a sight and sense of thy sins and transgressions But in the second place I must fall from Exhorting to Lamenting for certainly there is but small store of true Repentance upon the Earth there is so little Humility among Men and Women Thirdly this may serve for Terror to all such who as yet have not this mean and base esteem of themselves Let all such know they are void of Grace I have Gods Word for my Warrant Behold saith the
it or if done it yet it is not evil or if it be evil yet not very evil or if very evil yet not with an evil mind or if so yet by others perswasions they do so mince the matter that Mountains seem Mole-hills and Mole-hills Motes Secondly Wouldst thou have Pardon at the hands of God Then enlarge thy sins and lessen them not stretch them out to the utmost pin and set them forth at full with their parts and circumstances At what time in what place after what manner with what company they were committed let no circumstance of aggravation be wanting by which they may appear the more foul and filthy And am no more worthy to be called thy Son See how he humbleth and abaseth himself unto his Father I am unworthy to be thy Son yea I am unworthy the very name of Son so many have been my sins so lewd hath been my course The Instruction hence may be this Doct. The only way to obtain Pardon for sin and procure Gods favour is with an humble heart and lowly Soul to come before him The only way to be exalted by him is to come unto him in Humility of Soul and lowliness of Spirit The Practice of this Prodigal is a President for us The Reasons may be these First Such only hath God promised to look upon and shew Mercy to To this man will I look even to him that is Poor and of a contrite spirit And again Thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth Eternity whose Name is Holy I dwell in the high and holy place With him also that is of a contrite and humbled spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones As for the other they have no promise of Favour or of Mercy And Secondly such only are capable of Grace and Mercy Full Vessels can receive no Liquor and haughty Hearts no Favour for they despise it As therefore the Vessel must be emptied and the Air and Wind removed before any solid Liquor can be received so must thou first cast out haughtiness and pride out of thy heart before Mercy can be obtained Let the Use of this be for Exhortation Come before the Lord with humbled Souls and contrite Spirits for this is of him much set by And to stir us up to the putting on of this grace as the Apostle doth exhort us consider of these Motives First Pride it is the Devils first-born and the Devils first Poyson which Satan poured into our Nature and this as Bernard speaks is the Devils Character For as the Servants of Christ and Children of God are known by Charity and Humility so the Servants of Sin and Sons of Satan are known by Pride and Cruelty and therefore let this move us to embrace the one and abhor the other Secondly God exalts such as are humble but such as are Proud doth his Soul hate Thirdly Humility is the keeper of all graces but Pride is the spoyler of them No Box better to keep those Jewels in than a Heart well lined with Humility Fourthly Humility makes us like Christ himself and therefore must needs be an excellent Vertue This Grace he willeth us to learn of him for he was meek and lowly in Heart He disdained not to wash his Disciples Feet to teach them Humility He made himself of no Reputation and took upon him the form of a Servant that we might learn of him to be humble Let the same mind therefore be in you saith the Apostle that was in Christ Jesus He was Humble be thou then ashamed to be Proud THE Author's Farewel-Sermon OR Last Legacy to his Friends and Parishioners of St. Maries Parish in Bedford Dearly Beloved Being now come to Preach my Farewel-Sermon which shall serve as my last Legacy to you my Dear Friends and Parishioners I think no Subject more proper for me to insist upon for this occasion then that which may excite you all to Love and Vnite as Brethren when I am absent from you And therefore I shall ground this my Farewel-Sermon upon those words which you find written In Genesis xiii Ver. 8. And Abraham said unto Lot Let there be no strife I pray thee between me and thee neither between my Herdsmen and thy Herdsmen for we are Brethren Dear Friends GOD hath joyned us together as we are Men we are not Dogs nor Wolves let us not be so one to another Acts 7.26 Moses speaks thus to those who strove one with another Sirs ye are Brethren why do ye maliciously asperse one another The words in the Greek are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men ye are Brethren There is a consideration in this that ye are Men if you were no more yet ye should not strive one with another but much more considering ye are Brethren If we are Men let us be Humane what is the meaning of Humanity but Courteousness Gentleness Pleasantness in our Carriages one towards another But still the consideration grows higher as we are the same Countrey-men of Old Acquaintance in the same Employment of the same Family and Kindred but above all joyned in such a blessed Root the Foundation of all Love and Peace Surely these things should have a great force over us to make us all that are true Protestants be we of what perswasion we will to Vnite and Love as Brethren I have read of two Rivers in the East Sava and Danuby that run along in one Channel Threescore Miles together without any noise or bubling and yet they both keep themselves distinct and the colour of the Waters remain distinct all along why should we not think it possible for us to go along close together in Love and Peace though in some indifferent things our Judgments and Practices be apparently different one from another And here I will give you who are for Brotherly love and the healing of our Breaches a Sentence to write upon your Chamber or Closet doors it is this Opinionum varietas opinantium unitas non sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Variety of Opinions and unity of those that hold them may stand together But I 'le make no longer Preface but proceeed to the Parts of my Text which Text is a Treaty of Peace between Abraham and Lot wherein we have First a Supposition and secondly a Proposition that which is supposed is this That there may be an Unbrotherly strife between godly Brethren there was so you see between Abraham and Lot That which is proposed is that which should follow upon this That where such Unbrotherly strife is all speedy and possible means must be used for a Reconciliation That there may be an unbrotherly strife between godly Brethren is certain I would the point were to prove Alas it is too manifest that there is an Unbrotherly strife between godly Brethren London England yea all England will give us in a test to this truth What County what City what Congregation yea the Lord be merciful unto us
inforced the Statue of Nero into the Temple of the Jews the zeal of the people inkindled against it it being against the Law of their holy Religion Pilate purposing to inforce that by the Sword which his Rhetorick could not perswade drew them into a place where he had laid an Ambuscado of Armed men who upon his signal were to do execution upon those who withstood his command The Jews being constant to their Principle of Religion espying their danger approaching did all as one man open their naked breasts to the pointed Swords of their Executioners resolving rather upon and honorable death with the safety of their Religion than an ignominious life with the loss of it The third Argument for this holy Contention is the irrecoverable loss of our Faith being once gone It was once given unto the Saints and but once It was once given unto Rome and once unto Macedonia and once unto the seven Churches of Asia minor and when once they had lost it it was never as yet given to them again Sol occidere redire potest If the Sun in the firmament doth set it will rise again but if this Sun of Righteousness once set upon a Land an irrecoverable midnight of spiritual darkness succeeds upon it If we lose our Estates we may recover them again if we lose our Friends God may raise us up some other if we lose our Lives we may exchange them for a better but if we lose the Faith once given to the Saints being once lost it is lost for ever and we lose with it our Souls our Heaven our Christ our God and these irrevocably Ah dear Christians if ever ye will contend for any thing contend for the Faith once given unto the Saints And that is how the first object of your holy Contention that which you should contend for The second is that which you should contend against and here I shall propound two objects first of persons secondly of things First for Persons the Royal Prophet writes us a Copy Psal 139.21 22. Do not I hate them O Lord that hate thee and do I not earnestly contend with those that rise up against thee yea I hate them with perfect hatred I count them mine utter enemies Certainly there is a Generation of men in this Age whose hearts rise up against God and against the power of Godliness Gods right hand hath already found out many and will certainly find out more of those that hate him Take heed good Friends how you confederate with those against whom the Lord is ingaged Will you be tutor'd alittle from that story of Judah in Ahaz's time in the seventh and eighth Chapters of Isaiah when prophane Syria and Apostate Israel combined together against honest Judah their hearts did shake as Aspy leaves The Lord sends a Prophet to assure them that these two smoaking fire-brands which had more smoke than fire in them should not hurt them Judah though with much ado believing prospered and he combined Armies are scattered Discontented Israel not humbled under Gods hand so visibly against them resolve yet to recruit greater Forces against Judah The Bricks are fallen but we will build with hewen stones the Siccamores are cut down but we will change them into Cedars Judah forgetting Gods former Promise and deliverance sends to the Assyrian for aid The Lord sends his Prophet to them again and tells them That because they had refused the soft running waters of Siloa the mighty waters of Assyria should overflow them Now what were those waters of Siloa Siloa was a River that brake out at the foot of Mount Sion and ran through the Streets of Jerusalem to which the Church alludes Psal 46.4 There is a River the streams thereof shall make glad the City of God This River here is Jesus Christ the Fountain of Gods pleasures the streams are his promises in which he makes out himself for the comfort of his people in saddest confusions Now Judah had a special intimation of the Covenant of Grace to assertain their former deliverance as all temporary promises must have their strength and blessing out of that But forgetting both their mercy and their duty and seeking strength from an arm of flesh which God had despised they were not strengthened but distressed by it saith the story 2 Chron. 28.20 Lo this is all the kindness we are like to receive from such Confederates the Lord therefore counsels the upright-hearted in Judah Say ye not a Confederacy to all them to whom this people shall say a Confederacy neither fear ye their fear nor be afraid but sanctifie the Lord of Hosts himself and let him be your Fear and let him be your Dread and he shall be for a sanctuary unto you But what got Apostate Israel by her prophane Confederates Why Isay 9.11 12. we shall find that they tasted the same bitter sauce with unbelieving Judah they were with open mouth devoured by their good Friends the Syrians with whom they had before combined against Judah Foelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum I wish that Judah's and Israels sufferings may cautionate the godly in London how they confederate with those that are ungodly Surely they shall not strengthen but distress themselves by combining with those that are manifest enemies to God and Goodness In Judges the second and the first we read of an Angel of the Lord that came up from Gilgal to Bochim to mind the Israel of God of their Forgetfulness of Gods great mercy in delivering them out of Egypt and of their breach of Covenant in making a League with those Canaanites whom the Lord had cursed And he wrought so effectually upon their hearts as that they wept abundantly Certainly London shall know that they have had a Prophet amongst them And they shall one day weep for their Confederacy with wicked men if the Grace of God doth not now provoke their Tears the wrath of God will hereafter The second Object which we are to strive against are our own Lusts striving against sin saith the Apostle Heb. 12.4 I am sure this is without all question that sin is our enemy breaking our Peace both with God and man and killing as well with kisses as with blows God hath no enemy but this or such whom this doth make to be his enemies Now spend all your Arrows as long as strong as you can upon this Enemy here strive and spare not If you spare any one that one may undo your Souls as soon as a thousand There is more evil in one sin than there is worth in all the good you do or can do yea more than the vertue of the whole Creation is able to expiate One Achan is enough to disturb the peace of all Israel and never let England think to have a firm peace if Englands sins remain unreformed Now strive as much against your Achans as your Absoloms your Dalilahs as your Thamars your Rimmons as your Mammons your Davids as your Goliahs
let him not go without a blessing so shalt thou gain by the battery of Prayer a Kingdom by violence 17. Of Hope In the greatest difficulties Hope is a comfortable support to an afflicted Soul When Epimetheus unadvisedly opened Pandoras's Box he let out all the miseries in the world upon himself but hastily shutting the lid reserved hope in the Bottom for his comfort When the waves of Affliction come rowling like a Land-flood upon a man Hope buoys up his Spirits that he swims above water it lightens fears lessens cares expelleth dispair fills the Soul with magnanimity against all disanimosity it is a cordial Grace which revives a fainting Spirit from death yea though the Lord writes bitter things against a man and hedgeth him up on every side with thorns of Affliction yet Hope breaketh through inclining the Lord to pity Though he kill 〈◊〉 saith Job yet will I trust in him When Ahasaâ—erus's Decree of Death went forth for the Destruction of the Jews though Esther had failed of her duty yet Mordecai's hope expected deliverance some other way Endeavour we then to lodge our Hope in the bosom of Heaven that when the high winds of dessolation the bitter storms of Persecution shall beat down our clay-buildings upon their sandy foundations our souls may be safely housed upon the stable rock of our Salvation 18. Of Charity Amongst all the herbs of Grace planted by the Spirit of God in the Garden of a gracious heart Charity hath the supreme vertue it is like the Oyle that was poured upon Aarons head oderiferous to God and Man This Oyl of Charity is an excellent Remedy to heal the sinful Bruises of the Soul It expelleth the Poyson of Revenge it cureth the Plague sores of Envy Hatred and Malice and is of a magnetick power to attract the Iron hearts of Enemies to brotherly Kindness yea though a man had all Gifts and Graces as is expressed by the Apostle and wanted Charity he is nothing Charity is kind envyeth not vaunteth not is not puffed up beareth all things believeth all things indureth all things So rare are the fruits that spring from the root of Charity Pour upon my Soul O Lord this Oyl of Love this Balm of Gilead this blessed Vnction of thy holy Spirit for the savour of which the Virgins love thee let me I beseech thee experiment the healing vertue the comfortable effects and fruits thereof in my Conversation to the joy of my spirit the benefit of my Neighbours and all to the praise of thee my Creator 19. Of Faith Hope and Love Faith Hope and Love as they are the three Theological Graces of the Soul so they are Handmaids to wait upon her all exercised upon an object of promise Faith beholds it Hope expects it Love imbraceth it Faith looks upon it with assurance to obtain it Hope waits for it with patience to get it Love receiveth it with comfort to enjoy it Rouze up then thy self O my drooping Soul from the slumbers of Sorrow and despair and milk Consolation from the dugs of the Promises Art thou poor and needy the Lord is thy Portion doth every one reject thee thy God careth for thee who hath said he will not leave thee or forsake thee Lay hold on these Promises with thy hand of Faith secure them unto thee through Hope in thy extremity so shalt thou enjoy them in Gods opportunity 20. Of Nocturnal Devotion In the deep of silence when Morpheus the black Jayler of the night shackles the outward senses and lays them to rest under his sable Canopy then and then only is the time of a gracious Soul that waits upon God breaking off sluggish slumbers to awake in God and to have sweet Communion with him by Meditation Supplication and Ejaculation entring into the secret closet of the heart where he may examine and read over the Errata's of the mispent day and with the holy Prophet with tears of Repentance wash them away This kind of Devotion hath ever been of the Coram at all times nothing to interrupt a zealous Votary but a Clock or a Cock which are pleasing Monitors of his well-spent minutes it puts the heart into a holy frame making it better for the succession of the next day as Plato's Royal guest with homely but wholesom Collations of green herbs being well seasoned with the savory Discourse of the Philosopher Enter then thou King of glory into the heart of thy Servant though I can give thee but mean entertainment yet if thou please to honour my Soul with the Graces of thy Spirit thy own beauty shall bid thee welcome Be thou O Lord a Saviour unto me both by night and by day rouze my Soul from the slumbers of sin and unfetter it from the gives of carnal security from the swadling bands of spiritual darkness that I sleep not in death set it at liberty as a bird from the snare that it may soar up unto thee by the wings of Prayer and have sweet society with thee before the morning Watch yea I say before the Morning and be thou as a bundle of Myrrh between my Breasts and let Love be thy Banner over me and since it is thy Precept that I should watch and pray lest I fall into Temptation though my outward Man sleep for the support of my Spirit yet let my Heart wait and wake for thee that when thou comest whether in the Evening Watch Midnight Cock-crowing or dawning I may open unto thee and give thee Entertainment 21. The Nature of Sin No sooner is Man Born into the World but sin like a Vulture seizeth the Faculties of his Infant Soul So that his Body becomes a Living Monument of his better part till like Lazarus from his four days Tomb it be Miraculously re-animated by the Word of Life As it is the greater Miracle O Lord to raise my Soul from the Grave of sin which hath not only been four days but many Years under the power and shadow of Death so shall it be through thy grace the greater Obligation to make me look upon thee by the Eye of Faith as the Object of my Soul and God of my Salvation 22. The Devil and the Spider In beholding the Spider methinks I see some resemblance of the Devil both Venemous Creatures and begin their Work alike one in the centre of her Web the other in the centre of the Heart both aiming at one end which is to kill and destroy both forming their inviting works out of their Poysonous Bowels The Spiders Web so curious that prying Flies are intangled in it The Devils Work so glorious that beautified with Objects of Pleasure and Profit every one more or less is snared in it Sweep away O Lord these Cobwebs of sin from my Captivated Soul set it at Liberty from the thraldom of Satan so shall it be delivered as thy Ransomed one as a Bird from the Fowler 23. Of Vanity Great is Diana was the cry of the Ephesians to which not
only Ephesus but all Asia gave their Worship How much greater is the World 's Diana vanity that not only Asia but the World it self prostitutes its Devotions She is Attended with three Golden Idols as vain as her self Pride Concupiscence and Lust the Worlds Trinity which entertains all Suitors with variety of Honours Pleasures and Profits To this Lady of Honour the Ambitious spirit makes his acquist esteeming himself as nothing without a bended Knee a popular Applause and a turgent Title which his Fancy feeds upon as the Camelion upon Air but if crost in his designs by any opposite to his assention he grows as lean as Envy can make him like the Birds that fed upon Zeuxis Grapes with pecking at shadows Hither also resorts to this glaring shrine the Idolatrous Miser whose Hydropick thirst after Gold like the Horse-leach after Blood cries Give Give his Heart is always digging with the Mold in this Earthy Mine never satisfied till Death Robs his soul from his silver Mountain and his Mouth is bunged with courser Earth Finally the Luxurious Gallant makes Court to this Goddess of Beauty who prodigallizeth upon her Wanton all her sinful Favours which may indulge the Flesh and please desire with her deeds of Darkness Enter not my Soul into these their secrets which lead down to the Chambers of Death but skip like a Hart over these Mountains of Vanity Soar with the Wing of Contemplation into a higher glory let thy aspiring thoughts transcend this Airy Arrogance as far as Light surpasseth Darkness Heaven surmounteth Hell where thou maist Tribute thy Devotions to a more Beautiful shrine the Blessed Trinity from whence thou maist derive everlasting Comforts eternal Honours which flie not away upon the Wings of Time durable Riches where neither Rust doth canker or Thieves break through and steal torrents of Divine pleasure which shall continually chear and refresh thy spirits where thou maist behold with perpetual contentment the loveliness of Beauty the splendour of Saints and the glory of Kingly Majesty 24. Of Infidelity The Fool hath said in his Heart there is no God so consequently neither Heaven nor Hell which Atheistical Opinion is too rife in the Hearts of many who live as without God in the World without hope of Heaven or fear of Hell so willingly incredulous are they of their own safety or Ruine that though they have the two Testaments Nature and Grace the Light of Reason and the Word of God to inform them the one convincing their Consciences the other to enlighten their Understandings yet are they such Passionate Zealots over their Lusts that they violently court the embraces of Hell like Pliny the re-search of his scorning Vesuvius they will doubtfully experiment their own destruction As in Mercy O Lord thou hast given me a Rational being capable of Divine Light as a true born Christian let not I pray thee the Powers of Darkness or my indulgency over sin muffle my Soul in unbelief to make me an Atheist but impress upon my Heart with the Seal of thy Spirit the true cognizance of thy self that I may know thee who Created me to be my Almighty Father thy Son who Redeemed me my Blessed Saviour the Holy Ghost who Sanctifies me my gracious Preserver That I may know Heaven a place of Honour a Kingdom of incomparable Love Hell a place of Horror a Lake of intolerable dolour let the beauty of the one invite my Affections the danger of the other fright me from sin and both be objects of my Souls safety 25. Of Pride Pride is a gaudy Brat of a Monstrous Nature begot by the Father of Lies upon a Presumptuous Heart whose Towring thoughts and Devil-like Disposition could not soar higher or center lower than God himself It was the Serpents suggestion to the Woman Ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil A Temptation no sooner offered then embraced which brought a Curse upon her self her Husband and Posterity In sorrow shalt thou bring forth by the sweat of thy brows shalt thou eat Bread The Serpent not exempted Dust shalt thou eat upon thy belly shalt thou creep So that the Serpent was punished for Lying Adam and Eve for aspiring and eating Strangle O Lord in Love to our Souls such spurious Conceptions of the Serpents Pride in our Lustful hearts that they may not come to the perfection of Birth which will bring forth death But if we will not keep within the bounds of thy Commands but will through too much Curiosity peep into thy secreet Decrees and intrench upon thy Negative Precepts thou wilt make us acknowledge thee Righteous in thy waies and Just in thy Judgments 26. Of Hypocrisie Hypocrisie is similata sanctitas Vertue in appearance when Vested in her Saint-like Habit under which sin and Satan doth shrowd themselves to deceive the Innocent not unlike the Earth in the midst of Winter when Cloathed in her white Raiment spurious Broods of Toads Nettles and Adders lie mantled under her snowy Breasts but when the Sun ariseth in its vigour her Nakedness is uncovered and her Deformity appears So is it with our Earthy Hearts which Naturally brings forth mishapen Brats of Lusts veiled through the Devils Policy under the Garment of Hypocrisie transforming them as himself into Angels of Light Discover O my God to the Eye of my Soul such dangerous Impostors as sin and Satan that I may behold them in their Monstrous shape with detestation as the great Enemies of my Salvation and arise thou Sun of Glory with thy beams of Love upon my Soul and thaw away this rimy Robe from my frozen Heart that I may appear what in truth I am the greater Object of thy Compassions 27. Of Envy This Torturing Passion is like Prometheus his Vulture which continually Tyrannizes upon the Heart where it takes possession it soveraignizeth over the rest of the Passions not enduring any Competitor in the Common-wealth of Prosperity subjecting all the Lusts to be subservient to it if Covetousness come in competition with it for greatness of Reward Envy will be thankful to the Angel for one Eye to make the Miser stark blind If graceful Vertue sit in the seat of Dignity Envy will endeavour by Ambition to pull her down If Love cannot win Lady Beauty by fair Treatment Envy stirs up Raging Lust to deflower her If Thrift grow up in the Garden of Prosperity Envy presently sendeth forth Extortion to crop it If true Valour bear away the Prize of Honour Cowardise and Vain-glory are employed to asperse it by detraction This Envy is Attended with two sullen Passions Hatred and Malice the one is a sad sedement of continued Anger which settles upon the spleen causing it to swell upon every occasion in opposition to its object of discontent The other is ever hatching Mischievous designs for Envy's Practice Envious detractor Malicious sinner Hateful maligner who not only Robs thy self of quiet but also Thieves away from thy Neighbour his Goods and good Name If
thy Passions be so great that thou must place them somewhere let me Advise thee to consult thy own heart study thy own imperfections where thou shalt find matter enough to work upon for thy better advantage Arraign thy Passions before Heaven as Traitors to God and Man Humbly sollicite the Lord to Metamorphize thy hatred in love to himself thy Envy in Charity to thy Neighbour and thy Malice against the suggestions of Satan that so overcoming thy self through his grace thou maist be made a Pious Zealot of his Glory 28. Of Anger Anger is an Inflammation of the spirits raised from the hot Furnace of Choler the symptoms are a frowning Brow a sparkling Eye and a virulent Tongue which picks the Lock of discreet silence and sets at Liberty a multitude of Faults which was covered with Love speaking what it should forget to the dis-repute of Friends and Familiars it banisheth Patience breaks the bands of Affection and distempereth the whole course of Nature so that it may well be called a short Madness till brought into a better temper by the Manacles of Moderation Corrected by discretion Impatient Man if thy fiery Temperature be so predominant that thou canst not master this blind Passion think on that Divine Vengeance due unto thee for thy Transgression let it fright thee out of thy Cholerick Nature as Piander was affrighted with a clap of Thunder which made him think that the gods were angry with him Let the same consideration imprison thy thoughts but with better Illumination that Gods Judgments are ready to seize upon thee for this thy Frenzie and pray thou unto him to change the complexion of thy heart into a holy Zeal against thy Passions so maist thou be angry and sin not 29. Of. Back-biting The Back-biter is a secret Coward which Wounds at a distance the poyson of Asps is under his Lips which he vents by the Engine of a false Tongue not daring to look his Enemy Truth in the face The Tale-bearer and Prater are of the same Linage Children of Mischief who delight to Fish in troubled Waters Trumpeters of Folly sounding a false Alarm in seditious Ears which are as foul Channels only fit for the reception of stinking Waters a smooth brow gives them Entertainment but an Angry Countenance drives them away saith Solomon as the North Wind drives away Rain for where Wood faileth the fire goeth out where there is no Tale-bearer strise ceaseth Give me O Lord what wilt thou give me that harmless spirit the spirit of Meekness that I dip not my Tongue in this Gall of bitterness and that my Ears be not spunges of foul detraction to nourish prejudice against my Neighbour prevent me also I pray from the mirery aspersions of evil Men who whet their Tongues like Swords and shoot out their Arrows bitter words they encourage themselves in Mischief and the way of Peace they will not know 30. Of Lying A Lyar is much conversant in the Black Art in that he is continually hammering out Lyes upon the Anvil of his dark Heart He is like an irregular Clock which retails falshood by Minutes telling them out in gross by a lying Alarum Amongst all the Societies of Men a Lyar is a most odious Creature in that he out-faces Truth by a down-right Lye as Gehazi his Master Thy Servant went no whither Or else by Mental Reservation and fallacious Equivocation as the Devil at Delphos Aio te Aeacidae Romanos vincere posse or else he will palliate his Design with a gloss of Scripture as Satan to our Saviour He will give his Angels charge over thee so cunning a Factor is the Lyar to beget Proselytes to the Father of Lyes winning belief from unsettled Judgments not able to distinguish Light from Darkness Truth from Error Great God who art the searcher of Hearts discover I beseech thee unto me by the light of Truth the dark inventions of my deceitful Heart set a Watch before my Mouth that my Tongue run not counter to the Balance of Truth but order thou my Conversation by the square of uprightness that I deceive not my self by lying Vanities or my Neighbours by ambiguous Truths 31. Of Swearing The common Swearer is a black-mouthed Cannon fired by his own Passions thundring out Dammes as so many Bullets against the Battlements of Heaven as if he would Quarrel with his Maker for his preservation It is matter of amazement were not God infinitely Merciful that he break not in pieces like an over-charged Gun and that he opens not a way to let down speedy Vengeance upon himself Of all the sins that Man commits there is the least Profit or Pleasure in Oaths unless it be for the confirmation of a Lye for the compassing of a wicked Design mask'd under the guise of Truth or to set a gloss of unsanctified Rhetorick upon a Ranting Speech framed by that grand Artist the Devil Tremble thou then O Profane sinner at this thy Character consider the Mercy and Long-sufferance of God who will not that thou shouldest perish prevent in time by thy unfeigned Repentance the Judgments of God which thy Oaths as Messengers to Heaven invokes to thy destruction Since Satan and thy own evil Nature hath conspired together to make thee Blaspheme the Name of God earnestly intreat him to set a watch before thy Lips that thou offend not with thy Tongue and to mold thy Heart into a better temper that thou be not obnoxious to thy sober Brother or such an Enemy to thy self as to hasten Ruine to thy own soul 32. Of Drunkenness Drunkenness is a sleepy Potion which seizeth the faculties of the Soul locking them up in a Lethargy of sin depriving them of their Natural Function to the support both of the outward and inward Man whereby they come to lose their Active Vertues it stifles the Understanding with fumes of Wine banishing from it the power of Reason which distinguisheth a Man from a Beast it prompts the Will to all kind of Wickedness and drowneth that Noble Register the Memory in the sink of Brutality forgetting what it should remember and remembring what it should forget Consider then O Man with detestation this staggering sin of Ebriety what a Protean Disguise it puts upon thee that couldst thou see thy Monstrous hew in the Glass of discretion how thou art reeling headlong in the way to Hell was enough to fright thee into a sober temper But while thou art snorting in this deathful sin in this Swinish security without infinite Mercy thou maist awake in Hell 33. Of Covetousness Covetousness is not unfitly called the Root of all Evil a sour Root indeed slipt from the Crab-tree-stock of our fore-Parent Eve it generally grows in the ground of all mens hearts but Rich Soyls are the most natural for it in that it receives the greatest Nourishment from them as a thirsty Humour from a Dropsical Body It bears all sorts of evil Fruits which are desirable for Profit and Delight It is
that Golden Hesperides that the red Dragon Guarded for his Minions till slain by Hercules which all passionately enquire after the greedy Miser for Wealth the Ambitious for Honour the Luxurious for Pleasure all being Avaritious of Beautiful Apples no Labour no Danger seems difficult to obtain their desires whereas the poor Soul lyes Hunger-starved for want of the sincere Milk of the Word that it may grow thereby Convert we then our thoughts from these perishing things to a holy Covetousness after a more durable substance than this eyely Fruit which like the Apples of Sodom will fade into dust hunger we after that Tree of Life which beareth twelve manner of Fruits the Doctrine of the Apostles which are for the healing of the Nations through the vertue of the Lord of life our great Hercules pray we him to cut down both root and branch of this Hesperides and slay the Dragon which keepeth Possession and that he will please to replant us with better fruit to wit the graces of his spirit that we may grow up as fruitful Trees by the water-brooks of Repentance bringing forth our fruit in due season 34. Of Prodigality It is no Paradox to say That the Prodigal is very covetous in that all his Lavishments are to gratifie his greedy Passions that could he enjoy perpetual health and strength with the unlimited Addition of large Revenues as fuel to feed his sinful humours his luxurious Appetite would never be satisfied yet is he not so unprofitable a member in a Common-wealth as the covetous miser who defrauds his Genius to indulge his lustful eye being a Thief to the Common-wealth robbing it of Treasure which should relieve his Brother Whereas the Prodigal is his own greatest enemy others partaking of his wild Disbursements though not of his sin his whole life being as a Dream his profuse phansie feeding upon all kind of Delights which may cherish the flesh and pamper Nature till awakened by the storms and pinches of Poverty which haply makes him return by weeping cross to his Fathers house for better shelter and more wholsome Diet. O thou Almighty Giver who dispensest of thy goodness to every one as in thy wisdom thou knowest convenient for them if thou please to intrust me with two or three Talents suffer me not to be so prodigally vitious as to wanton them away upon my sinful Lusts or so wretchedly avaritious as to hoard them up unprofitably in the ground of my sensual heart but that I may improve them as thy faithful steward to the best advantage of thee my Lord and Master that when thou callest me to an account I may chearfully appear before thee not fearing thy Curse but expecting thy Blessing 35. Of Vain-glory. The Vain-glorious man is a bundle of Folly swadled up in ambitious Bravery whose airy thoughts words and gestures doth metamorphize his Soul by a kind of Pithagorean metempsuchosis into a puff of Vanity his wild phansie draws the circuit of his conceit beyond the Moon his words like wind bladders him up into a fond opinion of his frothy humor his gestures so affectionately mimical that they make him more than ridiculous Come not O my Soul into this aiery Element let not vain-glory swell thee like a Bladder in an overprizing conceit of thine own weakness but let Sobriety moderate thy Passions Temperance regulate thy Affections Humility bridle thy desires that thou mayest be a friend to thy self and not a foe to others 36. Of Presumption and Desparation The Serpent having bitten our first Parents with this infectious sin of Presumption afterwards sets upon Cain with that stinging sin of Desparation Both which are the great Master-pieces he useth to batter the Rampire of our Righteousness that so he may the more easily let in death into the heart the Souls Citadel one commonly follows the other as that little ravenous beast follows the Lyon for the reversion of his Prey 〈◊〉 the great design of Satan to hush a man 〈…〉 a carnal security that he may spend 〈…〉 and flower of his years in a presumptive way of sinning in hope of an after Repentance but if he chance to look back in the Evening of his age the Devil rouzes the Conscience as a sleepy Lyon to to fly in his face which returns him into his former way of Presumption or else exposes him to the devouring teeth of Desparation Shield me O my God with thy preventing Grace from such miscarriage that passing through the Red Sea of this World I may steer my course by the gale of thy favour between Silla and Carybdis the rocks of Presumption and the Gulf of Desparation till I safely arive upon the coast of Canaan the promised harbour of eternal Rest 37. Of Vertue and Vice Narrow is the way that leads unto life and few there be that find it but broad is the way that leads unto death and many there are that go in thereat At the entrance of the one stands Vertue in her sable dress like Rachel mourning for the loss of her Children and will not be comforted crying with Wisdom in the open places of concourse How long will ye simple ones love Simplicity ye Scorners delight in scorning and Fools hate knowledge Turn ye at my Reproof behold I will shew you the way of life though it may seem cragged rough and hard yet by it you shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven But at the other way stands gawdy Vice in her rich habiliments like Solomons Harlot curiously bedect with all sensual Invitements with which she commits a rape upon the Eyes of her Beholders her lips drop as the Honey-comb and her words are smoother than Oyl her feet go down to death and her steps take hold on Hell she opens unto them the gate of Vanity which leads into a spacious place where are Gamesters of all sorts sporting themselves with the Rackets of Pleasures and Profits in the Tennis-Court of this World till unwisely unwarily and unhappily they court their own Destruction Prevent me O my God in the day of Grace with thy blessing of wisdom that I may listen to the call of Virtue and not to the Courtship of Vice that I may creep with the fewest on the knees of humility in the narrow way to eternal life and not run with the most on the feet of Folly in the broad way to eternal death 38. Of the World As the Wilderness of sin was a place of tryal and trouble to the murmuring Israelites in their way to Canaan sufferin hunger and thirst with the sting of Serpents for Rebellion and Disobedience so is the World in general to us all full of variety of Vexation of Spirit for Sin and Transgression Some are hungry and thirsty and cold and naked pinched with poverty others surfeiting with prosperity throughfulness of flesh sticking in their teeth their fiery Lusts as so many Serpents gendred by Satan upon their Sin-bearing hearts sting them to death without the mercy of a Saviour Blessed
Redeemer who hast healing under thy wings for every disease cure I beseech thee my wounded heart being sorely bitten with the venomous Teeth of my Viperous Passions direct the eye of my soul as the Israelites to their Brazen Serpent to look up unto thee for my speedy Remedy that so passing through the briers of this wilderness of sin or sinful wilderness I may safely enter by the Conduct of thee my great Joshua into the promised land of Eternal Rest 39. Of the Earth When I look upon the Earth invellopt in her misty weeds methinks I see her sit as a disconsolate widow mourning the Suns absence to exhale those Vapours from her clouded brow by the vertue of his glorious beams So if my foggy Soul sit benighted under the dark Canopy of sin and Error Lord let the shining of thy Wisdom enlighten the eyes of my understanding that I may see thee in thy beauty to the great comfort of my Soul in the fruition of thy Spirit 40. Of Light Light is a comfortable emanation breath'd from the mouth of God Let there be light and there was light without which the Fabrick of Heaven and Earth was an abortive swadled up in the mantle of obscurity it distinguisheth Colours discriminates objects of various forms properties and qualities with their several dimensions it shews the great perfections of the Creator in the visibility of the Creatures especially in that choice piece called Man the model of the greater World whose intellective Soul is made capable of a twofold light like the Sun and Moon Grace and Nature the one giving shine to the Science of Divinity the other of Morality whereby we come to know God in us and us in him Lighten O Lord I intreat thee my dark heart which indeed is no better than a confused Chaos invellopt with the clouds of sin and ignorance shine upon it with the light of thy countenance which may discover unto me my deformity making me seek for better perfection in the knowledge of thy will and practice of thy word which is a Lanthorn to my feet and a light unto my paths 41. Of the Sun That glorious Lamp the Sun hath several Properties according to the Subject-matter it meets with it hardens Clay and melteth Wax its beams lighting on a stinking Dunghil causeth a noisom savour but darting on a fragrant Garden produceth a pleasant smell Cleanse my heart thou Son of Righteousness of the filth of sin by the vertue of thy precious blood that it may not be exposed to the influence of thy rays as a putrid substance but as a Nursery of graceful herbs not as stubborn Clay but as soft Wax capable of the Impresses of thy Image so shalt thou be unto it the savour of life unto salvation and not the savour of death unto Damnation 42. Of mans Heart The Heart of man came a rich soil out of the hand of God capable of bringing forth rare fruits of Righteousness but the wild Boar breaking in upon it so rooted and digged it that it became a Wilderness of sinful Weeds O may that gracious hand so husband my wild and barren heart pulling up those brambles of iniquity and sowing in it such seeds of Grace and plants of Vertue watering it with the dew of his spirit and fencing it with his blessing it may become a Garden inclosed fit for the Lords delight 43. Of Riches Riches are but golden balls which the world trundels before her Minions in the race of this life which they with Atlanta greedily snatch up to their utter undoing losing the benefit of a better prize the Graces of Heaven For earthly Riches do but clog the wheels of the Soul which drives Heavily on like the Chariots of Pharaoh to destruction not but that Riches are the Gifts of God and Instruments of much good if rightly stewarded but man being over apt to bless his soul in them he honours the Creature more than the Creator Admit O Worldling that thou couldst with Alexander compass the whole World and that thy Lordships were richly stored with all kind of Cattel feeding with more sober security than thy self thy Egyptian Granaries stuffed with Corn thy Coffers filled with Gold and Silver sumptuous houses promising perpetuity to thy Name and Posterity with all which thou mightest indulge thy soul for many years yet consider the casualties thy Goods may be driven away with Sabeans thy Barns eaten with Rats and Mice Thieves break in and steal thy Treasure the Elements enemies to thy Houses and Children and lastly death with the Fool in the Gospel robs thee of thy soul who then art of all men most miserable if thou hast not with Job laid up inward Riches in the Treasury of a good Conscience which will strongly fortifie thee against all Assaults and chearfully bear thy Charges to Heaven whereas other Riches as heavy Plummets will sink thee to Hell What got Midas in the Fable by his Grant from Apollo to make his fingers as Philosophers stones to convert by touch all things into Gold that when he would have taken pleasure in his glittering Joys his stomach craving more suitable meat was choakt to death with Golden Morsels Convert we then this Fable into a real truth which will afford us better profit Be thou avaritious in the pursuit of a better Treasure by thy Orisons summon Heaven to instruct thee in this Art of Conversion this holy Chimistry that thou mayest change all things into the Gold of Grace Art thou in love with rich Pastures Christ the Shepherd of thy Soul will feed thee in fair Meadows with running Rivers Doth full Barns delight thee make Heaven thy Store-house for Bread of Life Doth glittering Wealth steal away thy heart cast it upon the waters of Poverty and it will bring thee an income of everlasting Riches Doth costly Buildings take up thy heart lay thy Foundation on that Corner-stone where thou shalt have a building made without hands not to be devoured by the teeth of time Wouldst thou establish thy Name to all Posterity get that white stone in which is a new Name written to perpetuity And which beside all these external Accommodations superads that Joy which is unspeakable and full of Glory which will be lengthned out to Eternity 44. Of Honour Honour is as light as a Feather pufft up and down by a popular breath according to the ebbing and flowing Tides of inconstant Affections witness proud Haman who in his conceited thoughts did herauldize to himself his own Dignity in riding upon the Kings horse with Royal Habiliments How gloriously did the Sun of his Honour arise upon the sphere of Ahasuerus's favour and how suddenly was it blown amongst the clouds of his Displeasure by the breath of a Woman With what Admiration did Marcillus ride in his Chariot of Triumph after his great Victories and presently by the turning wheel of Providence his Reputation overthrown and Laid in the dirt So inconstant are the Felicities of this
Earth Let 's never frown upon Friends departure but rather see if possible the Messenger of this good tidings and bless the Lord for our advancement in theirs Indeed beloved we weep too fast when tears deny sight of Mercies In the death of Samuel there is gain to him as well as loss to us both should be remembred I know many present to be sensible of the one I shall be wrongful to conceal the other Truth it is there is fallen a great Man in Israel But how fallen Like Abner upon a violent Hand Or dyed he like a Fool Was he unsensible of his Estate Were his Hands his Mouth his Heart tyed Was his end without Honour No Brethren he died in a ripe Age when the Lord had made the most of his Life he died in Peace he died with hopes of Life in his heart with words of Grace in his lips and his Sun did set in the highest point in greatest brightness time place manner company Men Angels God and all conspired together to do him all Honour in his death Bless the God of all spirits for this all ye that are Interessed in the same Profession and Religion Bless the Lord for this that he so died in such a place in such a time in such a sort as the Devil hath received a foil and Religion grace and honour by it And thus Israel hath done his part in Mourning in Burying Samuel at his House at Ramah And now the more particular Application of all this brings me directly to the sad occasion of this present Meeting even to lament the fall of that Choice and Excellent Person Mr. John Dunton in whose Death the Almighty testifies against us and even fills us with Gall and Wormwood I know you come hither to mourn so fully prepared for it that although I am but a dull Oratour to move Passion I may serve well enough to draw out those Tears wherewith your Hearts and Eyes are so big and full There is no need to call for the Mourning Women that they may come and for Cunning Women that they may take up a wailing to help your Eyes to run down with Tears and your Eye-lids to gush out with Waters The very looking down upon this Bier and the naming of the Man whose Corps is here placed and a very little speech of his Worth and our miserable Loss is enough to make this Assembly like Rachel not only to lift up a voice of Mourning but even to refuse to be Comforted Dearly Beloved I must needs confess I am this day called to speak of a Man so eminent and excellent so wise and gracious so good and useful whose Works so praise him in every Gate that if I should now altogether hold my Tongue the Children and Babes I had almost said the stones would speak upon whose Herse could I scatter the sweetest Flowers the highest Expressions of Rhetorick and Eloquence you would think I fell short of his worth you would say his very Name expresseth more than all my words could do Should I say of him as they of Titus that he was Amor Deliciae generis Humani Should I say of his Death as once the Sicilians upon the Grecians departure Totum ver periit ex anno Siciliano should I say he was not only as one of David's Thirty Worthies but one of the three one of the first three even the first and Chief of them the only Man in these Parts who Preach'd as he liv'd should I say our whole Land groaneth at his Death as the Earth at the fall of a great Mountain I might do it without Envy in this great Assembly Yea should I write a whole Book in his Commendation and Publish it many of you would say as a Philosopher once did who falling on a Book Entituled Encomium Herculis said with Indignation Et quis Lacedaemoniorum eum vituperat He thought it time ill spent to praise him whom none could blame And I believe your selves are resolved to make some such Monument of your high Esteem of him that after-ages as well as the present shall know you valued him above my words I know large Encomiastical praises of the Dead unless their Lives were Eminent in Goodness and free from any notable blot are much condemned by the most Judicious and godly Divines as a thing of very evil consequence because they often prove Confections of Poyson to the Living for many whose Lives speak nothing for them will draw the Example into consequence and be thereby led into hope that they may Press a Hackney Funeral Sermon to carry them to Heaven when they dye On the other hand it may be said that though common Graves deserve no Inscription yet Marble Tombs are not without some Epitaph Heroical and Vertuous Examples should not go with a common Pass but with a Trumpet Since then it must be so jacta est alea I shall impose upon my self this Law not to Build his Monument of common stones nor trouble my self and you to gather such Flowers to cast upon his Grave as grow in common Fields nor descend or stoop to any thing which is not worthy of your highest Imitation First then For his Personal Endowments he was certainly 1. A Person of a very sweet Nature and Temper so affable and Courteous and chearful that he gained upon all that conversed with him and if any tax'd him with any Pride or Moroseness or distantialness in his carriage it must be only such as did not know him he had so winning a way with him he might bid himself welcom into whatsoever House he enter'd Pride and Moroseness are bad qualities for a Man of his Employ and make men afraid of the ways of God for fear they should never enjoy a good day after 2. A Person of a very great Gravity and could carry a Majesty in his Face when there was occasion and make the least Guilt tremble in his presence with his very Countenance I never knew a Man better loved nor more dreaded God had given him such a spirit with power that his very frowns were darts and his reproofs sharper than swords he would not contemn familiarity but hated that familiarity that bred contempt 3. A Person of a very large Charity He had large Bowels and a large Heart a great dexterity in the opening of the bowels of others as well as his own to works of Mercy that I think I may say there is not a Church in England that hath more often and more liberal Contributions for poor Ministers and other poor Christians than this hath according to the proportion of their abilities 4. A Person of a wonderful Patience Notwithstanding the many Weaknesses and Infirmities which for a long time have been continually without ceasing as it were trying their skill to pull down his frail Body to the dust and at last effected it yet I never heard an impatient word drop from him When I came to visit him and asked him How do
the glory of the World comes to the Funeral all Israel all at once in the same 〈◊〉 they come from far they 〈…〉 wings of the 〈…〉 all Mourn 〈…〉 to bury him in his own Town at his own House What can be done more in Samuel's Honour To be Buried is an Honour buried in ones own Countrey much in his own place more but to be so buried as Samuel was in such a place by such a People with so many Tears so great a Solemnity this is Samuel's Happiness and the Saints Honour You see then our third Doctrine An Holy and Profitable Life ends in a Happy and Honourable Death Life is Deaths Seed-time Death Lifes Harvest As here we sow so there we reap as here we set so there we gather of Holiness Happiness and of a blessed Life a Death as blissful He that spends himself upon God and Man shall at the last have all the Honour that Heaven and Earth can cast upon him So Samuel found it so Jacob few men comparable to him in Holiness as few so Honourably Buried So Asa Hezekiah Josiah David c. but especially for Josiah and Hezekiah those great Reformers those Profitable Members the Text takes special notice of their Obsequies Josiah having received his Deaths-wound abroad is brought home in his Chariot and much Honour attends him to his 〈◊〉 he is Buried amongst his Fathers and 〈…〉 nay all Judah and the Neighbouring Towns are Mourners Vse And is this so Then here we see what course must be taken if we will arrive at Honour Men may dream to meet with Honour in many paths they may think to make their Name famous by other means But when they have tyred themselves in seeking this in by-paths as the young Students Elijah's Body they must with them seek in Heaven if ever they will find A Godly fruitful Life hath a fairer prospect towards Honour than all the Advantages in the World besides Be one as poor as Onesimus yet if Onesimus that is Profitable his Name out-lives him Be one as great as King Jehoram or Jehoiachim if he idle out his Life he lives undesired he dyes unlamented What we hear spoken we see executed in all Ages Consult with your own Experience and tell me whether the Names of Idolaters Drunkards Adulterers Swaggerers be not rotten and accursed in despite of all Monuments Titles Offices Policies Favours whatsoever When in the mean time the Righteous notwithstanding all slanders clamours imputations and aspersions is of blessed Name and Memory And if so feed upon the Wind no longer build Babels no more lay no more Foundations in Hell whilst you think to erect a Building by flattery baseness dependency lying swaggering c. but go to the Lord of Honour for lasting Honour Pray much Read much Hear much Honour him in all the passages of his Worship and you have his word for your Preferment And as for men be to them as Jehoiada was profitable and they shall be to you as Israel to him Merciful Ah the fruitful liver finds Mercy in his death his Conscience favours him and heartens him upon death it self The Angels of God those Officers of Heaven comfort him and fetch him in all state to his Crown the Lord of Glory receives him with all Honour and puts upon him the Glory of Heaven the Saints departed regard him as a part of themselves of Christ the Saints living honour his Name and follow him to Heaven with their Loves and Affections The wicked have a world of Commendations for him and the blind Balaam can say O that my end may be like his Thus Honour and Happiness and nothing else abide us hereafter if now we can lay forth our selves to God and Mans Advantage But for the wicked who bestow themselves in the World like Drones in the Hive who either have no Calling or do no Service and towards God so demean themselves as if they were his betters scorning his Children scoffing at his Word trampling upon his Name his Sabbaths his Worship let them never deceive themselves their Names shall rot they shall find no favour in Death their Consciences shall brawl them out of all quiet Men shall rifle into their lives their whoredoms treacheries villanies shall flie thorow the world every Drunkard shall sit upon them every rake-hell judge them censure them and deride them In the mean time whilst that the Name is thus torn below the Soul is brought before the Judge Convicted Committed to Hell covered with shame delivered up to everlasting contempt O then be not cursed but blessed be Happy be Honoured be well thought of in Life well spoken of after Death be Righteous be Humble be Serviceable this is the way as Heaven tells us a Samuels Life will draw on a Samuels Death nothing else In a second place let this afford comfort to fruitful Members and faithful Christians Let them know that the World will change ere-long the wicked who have now the applause must down the godly who are as yet under shame shall one day shine as so many glorious Suns in the highest Heavens Yield then beloved to the Worlds Sons let them have the place give them leave to speak the time will come when Honour shall know its home and Innocency have its Crown All the wiles in the World shall not keep the wicked from contempt nor all the wits in Hell the Godly from Honour Samuels Name may be over-cast and clouded for a time but in the end his light will shew it self Whilst he is present he is not valued but this is Samuels Honour when gone he is mist when dead he is lamented all Israel strives to do him all Honour Blessed be that Life that ends in so glorious a death thrice happy that Man whom Angels God and all Men do strive to Honour A true Christian may travel in life under Troubles and Contempts but marke his end and you shall find as Peace so Honour When he is Buried a true and honourable Funeral is Solemnized men mourn not in the Face but in the Heart respect him not in shew but in truth their Consciences Reverence him their Souls find a miss of him the Angels of Heaven man him in a goodly Train to Heaven the Saints on Earth follow him with greatest Affections to his Grave Seven nay thrice seven Years after the Funeral he is not forgotten Thus are the men whom the great King loves Honoured And now shall Men and Women bear with patience the absence of dearest Friends when it is for their outward preserment And when Christ would Marry a Child prefer a Friend advance our Acquaintance should we stand off No If this be the worst that Death can do to the Godly to strip him of his Rags and cloath him with Robes to free him from all contempts and possess him of greatest Honours to redeem him from all shame and to Crown him with Glory in the Hearts Mouths Consciences of Men in the face of Heaven and